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Urinary concentrations of beta core fragment of hCG throughout pregnancy
S F de Medeiros1, F Amato, C D Matthews
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Adelaide, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville, South Australia.
Objective:
We sought to determine a reference range for urinary immunoreactive beta core fragment of hCG (beta C-hCG) in pregnancy, the ratio between beta C-hCG and intact hCG, and the earliest detectable rise of beta C-hCG in urine.
Methods:
Urine was obtained from 741 pregnant women between 6-41 weeks' gestation, as well as from women undergoing donor insemination with timed ovulation peaks.
Results:
The beta core fragment of hCG reached a maximum between 8-15 weeks, with a decrease between 20-29 weeks. The molar ratio of beta C-hCG to intact hCG was always greater than 1.
Conclusion:
In pregnancy, beta C-hCG concentrations increase in the urine in parallel to intact hCG but at a higher molar ratio, suggesting either placental production of beta C-hCG or enhanced metabolism of hCG to beta C-hCG in peripheral organs.